


(The Ship of Dreams) It Really Was

by CharlotteV



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cora's still here, Human Sterek, Jack!Stiles, Jydia, Kate's still around but eh, M/M, Possible Melinski feels, Rose!Derek, Scisaac - Freeform, Teen Wolf AU, Teen Wolf crossover with Titanic, Titanic AU, filled with rainbows and butterflies and shit, lot's of background characters, so is Lydia and she's a badass, sterek, this is the happy ending I promised you all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-23
Updated: 2014-04-23
Packaged: 2018-01-20 12:19:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1510193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlotteV/pseuds/CharlotteV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Stiles Stilinksi boarded the Titanic, he was looking for his next adventure. He only had the clothes on his back, his best friends, and a couple of drawings to his name. He didn't know what he was going to do when he reached the states...go somewhere, do something. Fate, however, brought his next adventure to him.</p><p>Derek Hale was just trying to take life one step at a time...survive, make it to the next day. But when a certain boy in third class stumbles across his path, he suddenly realizes he's found something to live for. And that changes things.</p><p>Or, the one where the Titanic never sank.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(The Ship of Dreams) It Really Was

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: CURRENTLY ON AN INDEFINITE HIATUS - I don't want to abandon the fic, I just literally don't have time to even breathe right now. Feel free to read the first installment, which is complete.
> 
> If you have somehow stumbled upon this story it's a spinoff of another story, **The Ship of Dreams** which can be found on my page. This one cannot stand alone.
> 
> As for the rest of you, hi and welcome back! This is the version of rainbows and butterflies that I promised you! I'm not sure how many chapters there will be, but I'm thinking between 3-4. The ship would have made it to New York on the 17th, so we'll get through that and possible a new Epilogue. Updates will probably come slowly--next week is Finals week and I have a very demanding job, but I'm trying!
> 
> If you've decided to read both versions of the story, the beginning of this chapter is most of Chapter 7. Don't just skip it though, the ending is different!

**“Derek?”**

“Yeah?” Derek murmured sleepily, lazy fingers traveling down Stiles' spine in feather light touches. They'd ended up under the covers at some point, Derek on his back with one arm folded under his head, Stiles stretched above him on his stomach, face buried in his neck. The younger male was warm, sheets gathered gently in the curve of his spine, heartbeat slowly lulling Derek into a deep, relaxed state. He'd be asleep in moments, if only he was so lucky.

Stiles shifted in his arms, resting his chin gently against his shoulder. Derek sighed softly and let his eyes open, giving the kid his attention. Stiles' face was still flushed, mostly his cheeks, his hair a mixture of unruly and sticking to his forehead, his amber eyes bright and glowing...the smallest smile curving those beautiful lips. “That was fun. We should do it again. Many, many times. Several times in a row. In several different positions.”

Derek couldn't help but laugh, the sound rolling out of him with lazy ease, which only caused Stiles' grin to grow. A new blush appeared on his cheeks before he pressed his face into Derek's neck again, his entire body nuzzling in closer. “That's a good sound,” he murmured, lips moving softly against stubble. “Your laugh...you should do that more often.”

Derek smiled himself, carding his fingers through Stiles' hair. It felt good to laugh...it felt good to have all this room in his chest that wasn't a constant ache or pressure cutting off his air supply. His entire being felt light...free of restraints. He knew that was all thanks to Stiles...everything was thanks to Stiles. He'd just buried his nose into that soft brown hair when he heard something.

Footsteps, right outside his room, echoing through the quite hallway, joined by Cora's girly giggle, light and airy and way too close. Stiles went stiff first, Derek could feel every muscle in his relaxed body tense, his fingers curling at his sides. “Kate?” The younger male guessed, his voice shaking slightly.

Derek hesitated for a moment, wondering if maybe Cora had just come back on her own, decided it was too late for her to still be out. He tilted his head back, stretching as close to the wall as he could manage. Even muffled and muttered, Kate's voice was distinct. “...Yeah.”

At first, neither of them moved, except for Stiles' fingers digging into Derek's skin with a slow pressure he didn't even realize until it began to hurt. Finally, the younger male broke it, with a soft, “How long do we have...?” The question hung in the air while Derek tried to formulate an answer, to think of a way out of this that didn't end in flames. Hypothetical and literal.

“Couple of seconds?”

Just like that, everything was broken. They were both bolting our of bed, Stiles cursing as his legs became tangled into sheets that brought him down faster than anything Derek had ever seen, hands falling flat on the wooden floor before he managed to kick himself free and take off in a flash of fair skin and flailing limbs.

Derek would have chuckled, or at least spared an eyeroll, if they weren't running out of what precious time they had. He was on Stiles' heals in seconds, watching out of the corner of his gaze as Stiles gathered up fallen clothing, jumping back into it as fast as he could. He was quick, open shirt already hanging off his shoulders, trying to get into shoes and hold his pants up at the same time, one fist clenching the loose material to his stomach.

Derek gathered up fallen pencils and pens, the portfolio that was still laying open on the ground, art supplies off the table, anything and everything that didn't belong. He pushed Stiles with one hand, keeping the materials pressed to his chest with the other. The boy toppled briefly from the force before hauling ass back into Derek's room, only one shoe on. Derek grabbed the other one off the floor as he followed.

He slammed the door shut, pressing his back up against it, and listening. Stiles took his other shoe out of Derek's hand, wobbling as he tried to jerk it on, freezing with one leg still in the air when they heard the sound of the front door opening. Derek gestured wildly with his figures and Stiles nodded, switching their positions. He threw his back against the door while Derek opened one of his dresser drawers, shoving all of Stiles' art supplies in while pulling clothes out of another, trying to be as quiet as humanly possible.

Neither of them said a word while Derek yanked on pants and pushed a shirt over his shoulders, though Stiles kept sending him frantic looks as he worked his belt on. He didn't bother with the rest of his usual array of clothing, it didn't matter anyway. He just sat on the edge of the bed and tugged shoes on.

The moment Stiles pulled his belt tight he no longer had to hold his pants up, but his suspenders were hanging down on his thighs, shirt unbuttoned and showing off a lean line of abs still coated in a shine of sweat. “What now?” he whispered, his fingers trying to work on the buttons of his shirt but his hands kept shaking. Derek stood up, crossing the room in a few steps. He placed one hand over both of Stiles', getting them to steady, and one finger over the boys lips before pressing his ear against the door.

Stiles froze under him, heat rolling off of his body in subtle little waves, warm breath splashing across Derek's neck. He tried his best not to get distracted, not to think about how that bare skin felt against his, and focused on finding the girls through the door. The main room sounded empty, which meant they were on Kate's side of the suite.

Derek finally gave a nod, pulling away, but a tug on his neck kept him in place. He looked down to meet Stiles' amber gaze—wide eye'd and worried—then lower to the blue diamond sitting in the boys palm. He hadn't even realized he was still wearing it. He plucked it from Stiles' grasp, dropped it under his shirt and shook his head because there was no time to put it back. He slid his hand down Stiles' arms, twining their fingers together, then backed away, pulling Stiles with him.

The two of them crossed the room, opening the door a foot from his bed, relaxing the moment they were in the hallway. He didn't let go of Stiles' hand, in fact he gave the younger male a gentle squeeze before throwing him a soft smile. He didn't know where they were going, or what morning would bring, but for now he just didn't want to leave Stiles' side.

Stiles smiled at him, lifting up on his toes, free hand resting on the side of Derek's face. The few extra inches made him taller, made him have to tilt Derek's head back to press their lips together. He chuckled breathlessly, relieved, into Derek's mouth, and he found it impossible not to smile again. He kissed Stiles back, his own free hand sliding into brown hair when Stiles dropped down on his feet again, dragging him closer.

The sound of double-doors being pushed open caused him to jump away from Stiles as if they'd been burned. He twisted his head around to glance at Kate who stood there, each hand wrapped around one of the doors, nails digging into wood, face slowly twisting with rage as she took in their disheveled appearances, conjoined hands, intimate touches....

He felt like he was sixteen again, standing across from her. He could practically hear his father's voice in his ear whispering _not allowed to marry_ , though it was far away...muddled by time and repressed memories. The look on her face was the same he'd seen back then, the day before he lost everything. He could smell smoke, feel the burning in his throat, see the walls around him slowly curling into ash, and suddenly it was getting really hard to breathe...

He must have frozen, because Stiles was pulling on his hand, jerking him down the hallway. He stumbled to keep up, barely remembering how to use his legs as fear clouded his mind. What would she do when she found them? What would she do to Stiles? She had access to guns...to money...she could drown him. She could set him on fire.

There was a pain in his chest that had him doubling over, his free hand fisting against his heart. Stiles' fingers gripped his tighter, and Derek looked up just in time to see them darting past the guards who watched the gates. He shot a glance over his shoulder, and wasn't surprised at all to see Kate following them. She was oddly quick in healed boots, her dress clinched in her hands to keep it out of the way, face set and determined.

Stiles was moving fast, out of the halls and suddenly outside. The cold night air hit him like a brick wall. His body jolted, salt replacing the burning that was still clouding his senses, but Stiles wasn't slowing down. Even though there was only a handful of people still out, they slammed into just about everyone. Then Stiles was dropping his hand, grabbing onto the railings and throwing himself over them with practiced ease.

Derek stopped short, heart pounding in his chest, watching Stiles land on a bench below before looking up at him expectantly, gesturing wildly with his hands. “Come on, sourwolf!” Derek took a deep breath, trying to get enough air in to sooth the lungs that hadn't been working earlier as he placed his hands on the rails.

“Derek!”

Kate's voice caused him to move faster than he had even considered. He was over the railings before he even knew for sure what he was doing, his feet hitting the bench below him just like Stiles had done. He glanced at the younger male who smiled at him and took his hand once again, pulling him down onto the deck.

Both of their heads tilted upwards, looking at Kate as she hit the railings, her knuckles white as they clasped around the bars, a glare on her face. Even in the dark, Derek could tell just how insanely pissed she was. “Run,” he whispered.

Stiles didn't hesitate. They were running again, this time a lot easier now that Derek wasn't practically being dragged. He realized at some point that they were back indoors, weaving through the tight hallways of the third class cabins, hitting staircase after staircase, twisting lower and lower into the ship. He wasn't even sure he could map his way back, much less if Kate could follow them.

Stiles was shouldering a door open and bursting into another room. No...storage. They'd literally reached the farthest down they could go. Derek took a moment to look around at the crates and large pieces of furniture while Stiles doubled over, panting, both hands on his knees. Derek's own chest was moving thickly with his labored breaths.

“Dude!” Stiles' voice knocked him out of his thoughts, the younger male letting go of his hand as he darted across the large space. Derek knew what he had been distracted by almost immediately. A car, go figure, he had guessed Stiles was a fan after knowing who Danny Mahealani is. “Is this a 1912 Coupe de Ville?!” He was still breathless, but his excitement was winning.

“Renault Type CB,” Derek confirmed, glancing over the glossy red vehicle. It wasn't a rare sight for him, he'd arrived in his own Coupe de Ville, but Stiles was laughing as he climbed up behind the wheel. His shirt was still unbuttoned, hanging haphazardly off his shoulders now as he bounced in his seat.

Stiles looked at him and grinned as he tried to push his insane hair back, sitting up as straight as he could manage. “Where to, Mr. Hale?” His voice was professional enough, but his entire being looked ridiculous. Still flushed with an afterglow of sex, adrenaline obviously pumping through his veins at running so far, hair windblown.

Derek shook his head, an amused smile appearing on his face, chest heaving as he tried to calm down. He sighed as he lifted himself up into the back cabin, putting down the window that separated the two of them. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss into the back of Stiles' neck, breathing in his sent with a smile on his face. “Far away from here,” he whispered.

Stiles twisted around as much as his body would allow him, eyebrows bouncing halfway up his forehead in shock, which was adorable compared to his pink cheeks. “Really?” he asked, eyes searching Derek's face, knowing there was so much more hidden in those words.

Derek smiled, stole a quick kiss, and wrapped his arms around the boys shoulders. In the next moment he was dragging Stiles backwards, the younger male nothing more than flailing limbs and ridiculous smiles as he dropped onto the leather seats.

Derek dropped next to him, leaning in instantly to seal their mouths together. The kiss was messy, heated, feeding off left over adrenaline still coursing through their veins. He broke away for a moment, resting his forehead against Stiles', both taking steady breathes as they stared at each other. Slowly, Stiles relaxed, and Derek fell with him before their lips were moving against each other again, smooth and slow, enjoying every soft moan he pulled out of Stiles.

Stiles broke the second one, tilting his head back and drawing in soft, long breaths of air. Derek couldn't get enough of him, couldn't get enough of breathing in their mixed scents, couldn't get enough of the taste. He moved his lips over Stiles' jawline, down his neck, into the hallow of his throat.

He'd marked Stiles, more than once, so he took the time now to lap at the bruises that littered the boys skin. Above him, Stiles sighed softly, one hand coming up to tangle into short black strands of hair. Derek smiled, moving down the boys torso, enjoying the fact that Stiles was _loving_ the treatment he was getting.

 **Stiles** couldn't care less how late it was. He walked across the deck hand in hand with Derek, what he was sure the most ridicules kind of smile stretching across his face. He'd finally managed to get dressed properly, but his suspenders were still hanging around his thighs, sleeves pushed up to his elbows. It was cold out, fresh salt water filling the air, but his entire body was hot.

Derek...Derek looked good. Relaxed. He was only wearing his fitted pair of black pants and a button down shirt. He had tucked it in, but all that did was show off his body a little more than usual. The first few buttons at the top were undone, his hair ruffled from way too much fun, it was...a good look on him. _Happy_ was a good look on him.

“I feel like all of our important moments happen here,” Stiles muttered, his fingers curling on the rails as he pushed his torso over the back of the ship, watching the dark icy water roll under them. Somehow this was where they always ended up, under the stars, with the breeze pushing his hair back. It felt a lot like that first night actually, when he'd followed Derek here.

Derek made a sound in the back of his throat that was almost amused but not quite a chuckle as he joined Stiles, folding his arms over the bars and leaning comfortably. He was silent for a moment, looking up at the stars instead of the water. “At least no one is jumping this time,” he mused.

Stiles chuckled, stepping down and leaning on the pillar, folding his arms over his chest comfortably. Derek looked amazing, the soft moonlight touching his features. How was he always this beautiful? “I'd still follow you,” he muttered, because that would never change.

“I no longer have a reason to try.” There was a beat of silence before Derek turned his head to look at Stiles, resting his chin on his arms. Stiles felt a grin spread across his face, only widening at the soft smile Derek offered him. They'd come so far, in only a couple of days. “When the ship docks,” Derek said softly, turning his eyes back to the stars, “I'm getting off with you.”

It took Stiles a moment to process those words, to understand exactly what they meant. He'd thought he'd heard them earlier, sitting in that Coupe de Ville, but now...now he was sure. He thought his face might break from how hard he was grinning. He closed the small space between them, arms circling around Derek's neck to pull him down into a kiss.

Derek chuckled softly, a sound that pulled from low in his throat and was filled with nothing but happiness. Stiles was smiling against his lips, not caring if that made it sloppy, he was just so content. “Where will we go?” he murmured before starting another one.

Derek shrugged, his own arms going around Stiles' waist to drag him closer. “Who cares?” he whispered, starting another kiss. “New York maybe? Or California? Didn't you say something about Isaac wanting to meet Scott's mom?”

“Yeah,” Stiles answered, pulling away so he could look at Derek. The older male arched an eyebrow, as if it shouldn't be completely surprising that he actually listened to Stiles talk. Which was surprising, really, because he rambled _a lot_. He leaned in, stole another quick kiss, and grinned. “You can meet my dad too.”

Because yeah...it had only been a handful of days, but he loved Derek, he really did. He'd never been in love before. Infatuated, lustful, yes. But this? This was brand new and scary and risky but _real_. And he wanted to show Derek Hale off to the world. To his dad and the woman who basically raised him. To everyone.

Derek smiled, then he was kissing him again, hands feeling like they were everywhere, pressing against his lower back, pulling him even closer. Suddenly, something hit the back of his head, causing him to push into Derek hard enough their teeth clanked together almost painfully.

Derek made a sound that was more of a growl than anything human, but it was Stiles who twisted around. The culprit was a ball, red and seemingly innocent, unless one knew the idiots who had thrown it. He raised his eyes just a few feet up, landing on the smirking face of one Isaac Lahey.

Scott was right beside him and even though his mouth and nose were wrapped up protectively by one of Isaac's many scarves, Stiles just knew the bastard was laughing. Stiles narrowed his eyes – he had half the mind to kick that ball right at his best friends head, but Isaac had a protective arm around the younger male and Stiles knew there was no way he was getting through him. Not with his aim at least.

“Well,” Isaac mused, but his eyes were going straight over Stiles' head and clearly locked on Derek. “Someone got lucky.” Stiles sorted, feeling arms circle around his waist and pull him back into Derek's chest before the man was pressing his face into Stiles' neck. “Aw, he's blushing...you're either really good or terrible, Stilinksi.”

“Shut up, Isaac,” Stiles spat, but there really wasn't any heat behind it. He couldn't find it in him to be upset...not after... _everything_. He reached a hand up, running his fingers through Derek's dark hair before eying the couple in front of him. “What are you two doing up? It's late.”

Scott shifted a little, cuddling closer to Isaac for warmth. Stiles hadn't even realized how cold it was up here...not with everything else that was going on. “We were looking for you,” Scott answered. “The last time we saw you...well, we just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Right...Stiles had stomped out of their room after Isaac's “Let me tell you a thing about Derek Hale” story. He grimaced slightly, because in all honesty he very well could have been anything _but_ okay. Derek could have broken his heart again...Kate could have caught them. Kate... “But,” Isaac had that damned smirk again. “Looks like you're more than just okay.”

Derek's arms tightened around him, and Stiles heaved a sigh as his fantasy world came crashing down at his feet. “Maybe not for long,” he mused, and Derek made that growly sound again that caused Stiles to chuckle under his breath. “Come on, Sourwolf.” He patted Derek's hands until he loosened his grip, stepping away and taking one of his hands instead.

Scott's puppy dog eyes were wide and worried as he watched Stiles move, eventually tumbling out of Isaac's arms as well before following the two of them back across the ship. They walked in silence, split into their respective pairs, either enjoying the cold breeze or shivering violently because of it.

Stiles could tell he shattered Derek's world as well, the farther they walked the more tense the other male got. After a minute, Stiles looked up and tightened his hold on the others hand. Derek glanced at him, smiled softly, and that was that until they got downstairs.

Stiles had never been one for flashy things or big spaces...but the moment he was crawling onto his tiny bottom bunk he suddenly missed Derek's first class suite very much...or at least that bed. That bed with its soft mattress, that bed that Derek had pinned him down onto, that bed that he had let Stiles...He stopped suddenly, shaking his head and holding a hand out for Derek.

It wasn't easy to fit both of them under there, so they ended up sitting against the wall with their hands conjoined between their frames. Scott and Isaac settled across from them, cuddled up against each other. It was almost as cold down there as it had been on deck, but only Scott was shivering. The cold had always affected him the worst.

It was Isaac who finally broke the silence. “So...what happened?” he asked, blue gaze going over both of them individually. “I mean, I'm happy you two worked your shit out...” he paused there, eyes locking on Stiles then, as if remembering the last time they were here when Stiles had his head in Isaac's lap, crying his eyes out over the very man he was now holding hands with.

“But you don't seem happy about it?” Scott finished for his boyfriend, eyebrows raising lightly. Stiles sighed, running his free hand through his hair before moving to the side enough that he could rest his head on Derek's shoulder. “I mean...shouldn't you be shouting from the rooftops or something? Hypothetically of course...”

There was a brief moment of nothing but silence before Stiles managed to pull his thoughts together. “Do you remember Isaac's story from last night? It's true...well, I mean I guess it's true, I haven't really had the time to get the details out of Derek. We were busy doing...other things.” Stiles looked up at Derek, whose unamused expression wiped the undoubtedly goofy grin off his face.

Finally, Derek turned his attention over to the others, his thumb moving across the back of Stiles' hand in a pattern Stiles wasn't even sure he knew he was making. He seemed to be warring with himself, going over his options before he gave a sigh. “What...what do you know?”

Isaac glanced at Scott first, then looked over at Stiles who gave a slightly hesitate nod. He knew Derek was private...probably for a reason, but right now having secrets wasn't going to help them get anywhere. So, after a second, Isaac began to talk. He started off with how he was originally from the States, despite his accent. Then he launched into what his mother did, how she knew his family, and stuttered his way around the store of the Hale-DeWitt fire.

With each word he said, Derek only managed to get more and more tense, so Stiles eventually switched their positions and drew the older male's head down against his own shoulder, running his hands reassuringly through dark strands of hair, watching Derek close his eyes.

There was another silence that fell through the room once Isaac finished, it was heavy but not exactly tense...the kind of quiet that comes when one knows something is about to happen, but isn't quite ready for it. Finally, Derek spoke. “Have you ever been in...” he paused for a moment, shifted in Stiles' arms and sighed deeply.

“I'm not going to call it love...that's not what it was. I thought it was, but I was sixteen....I was...” he hesitated for a moment, looking up at Stiles and opening his eyes again. “I wasn't like you. I was a _child_. I didn't know how to cook my own dinner much less what love really felt like...”

Stiles nodded, as reassuringly as he could muster, before Derek closed his eyes again. He was still generally talking to all of them...but Stiles felt like he was only talking to him. “It was stupid...what I did. My...my family, they always kept me so busy...in school, sports, learning how to play instruments. I never...Kate payed attention to me. To _me_ , not what I was good at...not how much money my family had...just me.”

Again, it was quiet, but this time shorter than the last, and Stiles looked up to see Scott resting on Isaac, the blonde playing with his boyfriend's hair just like he was Derek's. They were both engrossed in the story, Scott with wide brown eyes and Isaac with an interest at finally getting inside the Hale-DeWitt fire.

“What we had...for the first year...was passionate, all consuming, burning. She got inside my mind, twisted and turned it until I couldn't even _function_ without her. I thought I needed her...I thought I needed her to think and breath and...do anything really. The truth was, she was sucking the air out of me...but it was like I was on drugs. It was all the pretty words and the intimate touches and the empty promises...I was just...stupid.”

There was a collective wince around the room as Derek stopped speaking again, either because they knew that feeling...or they could sympathize with that sound in Derek's voice, the overall shame and guilt...Hell, Stiles remembered hearing that same tone in Scott's voice the first time he admitted to having feelings for another guy. They'd been there...it just hadn't torn them apart.

“I was so infatuated...so _dependent_ on her that I began thinking everyone on Earth was. That everyone thought she was this amazing being like I did,” Derek was practically spitting his words now, and Stiles focused on sliding his fingers through the mans hair to keep him calm. “I never imagined my father would say no when I wanted to marry her...

Our families never got along...it wasn't as dramatic as the rumors were that went around town, they just simply didn't like each other. The Argent money was mostly tied up in war weapons which was losing cash flow fast while my family was only steadily climbing upwards...when a name with money starts to lose status, it's never clean. What I didn't realize that my parents did...was why Kate wanted _me_. It had nothing to do with me at all...and I had been wrong all along. She wanted my name, my money...her family wanted the status that having a Hale-DeWitt connection would give them. But somewhere along the line...she got attached.

I don't know when or why I became important to her...maybe she liked how much control she had over me...bu when I asked to marry her, and my father said no, she just...snapped. And then...and then...” Derek licked his lips slowly, shifting in his seat to press his face into Stiles' shoulder.

“The fire,” Stiles supplied...because he knew, he was smart enough to gather, that that had all been Kate...and if he hadn't known before tonight, the look in her eyes when she'd chased them across the ship had been more than enough. “If it had just been you...”

“I wouldn't have stayed with her,” Derek mumbled. “But I had Cora...and she was threatening me...and if I just gave in, just did what she asked, then I could get my family money and take care of Cora and that was all...that was all that really mattered.”

The silence that stretched between them this time was longer than the others, letting them all sink into what they had just been told. Some of them probably trying to go over it all again, see any other option that Derek could have taken...but they didn't see one. Derek had been left in a world where all he had that he knew was his little sister...why not hold onto that? Scott looked up slowly, eying both of them carefully. “So...as long as you play nice...so does she?”

Derek looked up suddenly, as if he had almost completely forgotten that there were other people in the room, which went back to Stiles original idea that Derek had really just been talking to him the entire time. He blinked for a minute then nodded a little. “Yeah...and now...she saw me and Stiles, earlier, before you two found us. She knew...I know that she knew...And now she has Cora, and I'm here..”

Stiles sat up then, pulling Derek up with him easily, before he rested his arms on his knees. He hadn't even thought of Cora when Derek had come back for him...hadn't even questioned what they would do because everything wasn't supposed to unravel the way it did. It had been _amazing_ , but still not the way he would have wanted it to go. “Is she going to be okay? Until we can figure something out?”

Derek didn't even hesitate before he nodded, his focus solely on his hands that were resting on his lap. “Kate's smart...she knows that Cora's just a child...she can't touch her, not yet, not here...with everyone keeping an eye on her Cora's safe...at least from anything active.”

Stiles sighed and ran both of his hands up through his hair, folding his fingers behind his neck and stretching out a bit. Kate was going to find them eventually...both sides of the coming war were locked on a ship, with no where to go and nowhere to run. They were going to have to find a way to stand and fight. “What are we going to do?”

“We need a plan,” Isaac ventured, and Stiles could have just nearly jumped across the small room and kissed him right then and there, but he knew that wouldn't have ended well no matter what. As simple as that sentence had been...it spoke volumes. It meant that Isaac and Scott were in...that they would help no matter what.

Derek nodded. “We're going to need Lydia.”


End file.
